Dawn Of The Dead Blu-ray Review

• 22nd Apr 2011

Simply put, Arrow DVD has released the definitive edition of the George A. Romero zombie classic, Dawn of the Dead. Having previously been available in the USA as a 3-disc set by Anchor Bay this UK version takes that as its starting point and then adds even more goodies into the mix.

Originally released in 1978 this zombie flick has now become a recognised masterpiece of the genre. The film seemingly picks up where the original Night of the Living Dead left off, despite it containing no actual characters from the original and the action moving from the countryside to a city. As people attempt to live through the on-going zombie epidemic, four survivors decide to take refuge in a suburban shopping mall to re-group.  After a period of securing the building they attempt to enjoy their safety via a denial fuelled attempt at “normality”. Sadly for our foursome, a gang of destructive and dangerous bikers decide that they would also like use of the site. After a final confrontation the survivors abandon the security of the mall and continue their search for civilisation and safety.

Released to much critical praise, Dawn of the Dead even won several awards in Europe despite its genre. The decision to place the action at the shopping mall was meant by Romero to show how America was becoming more consumerist minded by the day. The zombies that inhabit the mall have come there by habit we are told and simply mill around as they did before the outbreak. Romero explains on the documentaries that, for him, zombies are not creatures but are simply people who have been deadened by the conventions of society and the desire to conform. The pressure to become a zombie exists within all of us and it’s our duty to fight that urge.

The original ending for Dawn of the Dead was intended to recall the original shocking ending of its predecessor. According to the original script, the final two survivors would also end up dead; Stephen shot himself and Francine jumped into the blades of the helicopter. The helicopter would ultimately drop down as the credits rolled to show there wasn’t enough fuel to escape. The decision was taken during production to swap the ending and the original concept was never filmed, which is a shame as it would have chimed much more with the original.

This release actually includes three different cuts of the film, as did the American Anchor Bay release in 2004. The Theatrical Cut is joined by the Director’s Cut and the Argento Cut. The Director’s Cut is the original version screened at the Cannes Film Festival in 1978 before being edited for cinema release due to the extreme gore. The Argento Cut is the European version he put out as he had the rights to Euro distribution at that time. No matter which cut you decide to watch, all  versions largely remain the same.  The Theatrical Cut has two isolated commentary tracks, the first including George and Chris Romero with Tom Savini. The second track is also fantastic as producer Richard P. Rubenstein talks about his joy of the film and the horror genre in general.  The fourth disc concentrates on documentaries including commentaries, lost interviews and deleted scenes.

Taking the original Anchor Bay 3-disc release, adding a disc and moving it into the world of Blu-ray has put this Arrow release miles ahead of the pack. Everything from the content and packaging to the variable artwork, posters and booklet is simply spot on. This set has been assembled by people who care about this film and about how its devoted fans would want to see it. Dawn of the Dead is the greatest horror sequel of all time and can hold its head up high when the likes of Godfather Part II and Aliens are mentioned. Romero fans will continue to argue as regards his greatest ever work but in terms of scale and concept Dawn of the Dead must have it by a nose and this release has it by a length.

Aled Jones